Harnessing Light – How Light is Enabling the Future

HARNESSING LIGHT – HOW LIGHT IS ENABLING THE FUTURE

Elizabeth Cloos

University of Michigan

2013-10-25

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What is Optics & Photonics?• The science and application of

Light

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A Brief History of Light

Optics is more than eyeglasses and cameras.

It is anything involving light.

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ENABLING INDUSTRIESCommunications, Manufacturing, Health Care, Defense and Energy.

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Industry Numbers – Public Photonics Companies

2009 2010

Revenue($millions)

2,741,289 3,085,292

No. of Employees(000s)

7159 7415

Public companies that are focused on optics and photonics create more than 10% (>$3 trillion) of all U.S. public company revenues and 6% (7.4 million) of public company jobs.

Source: Table 2.2 Optics and Photonics, Essential Technologies for Our Nation. Data from 282 of the 285 unique public companies listed as members, employers, or exhibitors by SPIE & OSA.

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Communication

• Gigabit+ Internet• Terabyte data storage• Faster and smaller computing

IT and Telecom Industry:• $4.7 trillion globally• 6% of total world GDP

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Communication

SOURCE:http://www.nasa.gov/content/ladee-and-earth-artists-concept/#.UmCI7lCsim4

Lunar Atmosphere & Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE)

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Manufacturing

Laser Cutting Nanofabrication

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Health Care

• Detect cancer• Fight winter blues• Whiten Teeth• Vision correction• Needless testing

http://spie.org/Documents/resources/Free%20Posters/Photonics-Healthcare-Poster-2012-lr.pdf

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Health Care

Biocompatible optics made from silk

http://www.tufts.edu/home/feature/?p=optics

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Defense

• Night vision goggles• Laser range finders• Secure optical communication• Directed energy weapons

http://www.northropgrumman.com/Capabilities/ChemicalHighEnergyLaser/TacticalHighEnergyLaser/Pages/default.aspx

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Defense – EOTech Holographic Sights

http://www.eotech-inc.com/features

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Energy

• Energy Generation: • Solar Power

• Energy Conservation and Efficiency: • LEDs

• Energy Exploration and Monitoring:• Photonic Sensing

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Current Initiatives

International Year of Light National Photonics Initiative

http://www.eps.org/?page=event_iyol http://www.lightourfuture.org/

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Further Resources

Outreach: www.optics4kids.org

Education: http://www.opticseducation.org/

Industry News: http://www.photonics.com/

Photonics Clusters: http://spie.org/x22931.xml

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Summary

•Light is enabling the future!• Communication• Manufacturing• Health Care• Defense• Energy

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How are you enabled by

OPTICS?

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References & Acknowledgements

REFERENCES• Harnessing Light committee of the National Research Council. (2012). Optics and

Photonics, Essential Technologies for Our Nation. Bellingham, WA: SPIE. Retrieved from http://spie.org/Documents/AboutSPIE/PDF/HLII-OpticsandPhotonics.pdf

• National Photonics Initiative. (2013). Lighting The Path to a Competitive, Secure Future. Bellingham, WA: SPIE. Retrieved from http://spie.org/Documents/AboutSPIE/ NPI-Lighting-the-Path_24May2013.pdf

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under Grant No. F031543.Any opinion, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors(s) and do not necessarily reflect

the views of the National Science Foundation.

• SPIE, OSA• University of Michigan• Graduate Committee of the Society of Women Engineers @ UM• Dr. Michelle Stock

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